H View, Dunbeholden in crucial RSPL clash

After contrasting results in last week’s Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL), ninth-place Harbour View and 10th-place Dunbeholden will each go in search of a victory today in the hope of keeping clear of the teams below them in what has become a ‘crab in barrel’ fight for the bottom four.

Harbour View were sitting pretty in their clash with Montego Bay United, leading 3-1 late on, only to allow two late strikes to peg them back to a 3-3 draw. Dunbeholden, on the other hand, gave up home advantage by journeying to Drax Hall to play Mount Pleasant and returned long-faced with a 2-1 loss. This is a must-win for both.

“This game is very, very important, they (Dunbeholden) are two points behind us and we need a victory to get more distance between us and them, they are too close,” Fabian Taylor, former national player and coach of Harbour View, said.

“We haven’t been playing well at home either and we need to change that, and this presents a perfect opportunity for us to do that,” added Taylor.

The fact that his team surrendered a two-goal lead to bottom-of-the-table Montego Bay United in another crucial match has done little to dampen Taylor’s confidence ahead of this game. This confidence is based on the additions through the recently closed second transfer window.

“I am very confident of a favourable result as we have some experienced players back with us now and, hopefully, this can spur on the youngsters. Jorghino James and Rennico Clarke are two of them.

“We also have the youngster Norman Campbell, from Jamaica College, with us as well,” Taylor stated, naming one of the quality youngsters who have joined also.

Taylor also expressed the hope that James will join Tevin Scott, who joined on loan last month from Cavalier, in leading their goal charge.

LIFE OR DEATH

For Dunbeholden’s Riegel Smith, this game could mean RSPL life or death.

“This is very important to us. It is the turning point between survival and relegation.

“We take all games seriously and will have to take this one as serious as possible,” said Smith, who lost one of his key acquisitions in training leading up to the Mount Pleasant game.

That player, Kimoni Bailey, was a breath of fresh air for the St Catherine-based team and a potent partnership with Demarley Phillips as they terrorised opponents down the left and right flanks, respectively. Smith will now have to find a new weapon.

“We will have to look to our midfielders Nickoy Christian to create openings for us with Dean-Andre Thomas and Narado Brown to finish.

“We have to play the game in all areas. Against Mount Pleasant, we started slowly and cannot afford to do that against Harbour View,” Smith said of his keys to victory.